Foldable table



Filed nay v. 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 18,1927. v

A. THIEDE FOLDABLE TABLE Filed May v, 19215 A 2 sheets-sheet 2 7 5 9 m K www...

Y M 5 mm l r 111, n

Patented oa. 1s, 1921.

UNITED -sTATEs PATENT voei-"vInca. j,

' .AUGUST THIEDE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

\ IOLDABLE TABLE.

application mea muy 7, 192s. ."serm 19.101313.

This invention relates to foldable tables apd more .particularly to card or gametab es.

i One object of my invention is to pivotally connect the legs with thek table structure 1n such manner that the legs will be rigidly held in upright ory table-supporting position without the use of brace rodsl or other equivalent means extending diagonallyl from the legs to the under side of the top, as heretofurther object of my invention is to have-a locking means associated with each of the legs at their pivotal connection with ythe table structure, so that eachleg` may be l.locked in table-supporting position 1n the The invention consists further in the inatthe position shown in ters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-l e Fig. 1 is a perspective vlew'o a foldable table embodying the features of my invention and shown setup for use;

Fig. 2 is`a bottom plan View .of the table A shown in Fig. 1, the legs .being yshown in folded positions in dotted llnes;A

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the several y t "T, 7.- The hook 10 1s designed -to engage parts making up the connection 'between a table leg and the top, these parts belng shown disassembled but arranged in the` .order in which they are put together;

- Figa is Van enlarged bottom 'plan vlew' of the table at one corner to show 'the leg connecting means;

` Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5f5 of Fi 4, the leg beingshown in 00]-,

lapsed or olded positlon; Y e

Fi 6 is a. similar view showing the leg inv position before being moved endwise` into Fla; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing the leg in `its supporting position and locke against accidental movement and l l Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectlonal yview on line'8-48 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the table top; 2 the surrounding rail with its sections at rlght-angles to each other to form corners; and 3, 3, the'supporting legs, whlch are l with my invention.

foldably connected with theltable structure at the four corners of the rail fin accordance On the .inside of the rail v2, at each lof the fourk corners thereof, I provide a pair yof sheet metal plates 4, 5 spaced apart in parallel relation and secured to the respective sections of the rail, yas shown in Figs. 4 and 8. `The plate 4 is secured latwise againstits associated rail section,"while the plate 5 is secured to its'rail section ini right-angle relation theretothrough" afilange. 6; at the inner edge ofl said plate.

The innerend of the leg 3 is between the i plates 4, 5 and there carries Wear plates 7, 7

`at its sides. These. plates beara'gainst the plates 4,'5 and extend beyond Athe leg and there have elongated slots' 8, 8 disposed kto extend lengthwise of the leg, as shown. An axis member, which may take the form of a bolt 9, isi carried by and extends between the plates 4 5 throughA the elongated slots A'8 to," pivotally connect the leg' 3 with the plates 4, 4 5. "'This rpermits the leg to be swung either into anl uprightl or: table-sup" porting position, as lshown in Fig. 1,l /01 down into collapsed position against the under side of the top and lie along the adjacent section of vthe rail, as shown in dotted lines in Fig'. 2.l

The leg 3*'is provided on its side opposite vthe bolt 9 with ahook-shaped memberv 10,

preferably formed. integral with the plates right-angles thereto. Flange 11 extends b etween the platesfl', 5and aligns with the flange 6 'ofthe' plate', as shown in Fig. 4.,v

" Thesection "of the railf2fbehind'the flan 11 is cut away at tlieifouteredge o'f.; t e

`flange to provide a recess' 121t`o receive'the l hook 10 when the parts are engaged`,-=as shown in-Fig. 7.' Theinner'end of. the leg 3 is cutsquare, vas shown inFig. '7, and abuts against another flange 13 integral withthe plate 4 and at right-angles thereto and to Han 11. Flange 13 has it'sl'outer end turned, as at 14, to provide a stoptofengage in front of the leg 3 to hold thesaine from collapsing when in upright or table-supporting position.

When set up, the table appears as in Fig.` 1, and it will be noted that no side? braces are required'for the legs, with theiresult lio ,and the leg 3 is slight] that `.no biaces are in the wa to interfere with the use of the table. Eac of the legs 3 is locked in upright or table-suportmg position in the mannershown in ig.'7.; and with thel plates 7, 7 between and bearing against plates 4, 5, a considerable supporting area is provided for theparts; and with these plates extending the full depth or height of the rail, a very sturdy, strong, and rigid connection is provided for the structure, in addition to the lock afforded by the hook 10 and the stop 14.

To collapse the table, the latter is first positioned with the legs oif the floor, whereupon each le is first moved endwise outward from the top, this movement being permitted by the elongated slots 8, 8. The extent ofv movement is such as to withdraw the hook 10 from the flange 11 and the inner end of^the leg from the stop 14. The parts are then in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig'. 7, whereupon the 1e 3 may be swung about the bolt or axis mem r 9 toward the table to until the position shown in Fig. 6 is reac ed. In this position the bolt 9 is at the inner ends of the slots 8, inclined outward *and does not lie along t e inside of the associated section of the rail 2 due to the fact that the leg is too long in this position to clear the plate 5 of the fixture at the opposite corner of the table. To clear this hxture, the le is moved endwise toward the iiange 11 `ig. 6) and, when the fixture is cleared, the leg may be swung inside of its rail section and lie along the same with the as Ashown in Fig. 5. scribed, each .leg may have its inner end inner end of the leg a ainst the Bange 11,

shoved or moved clearup into its corner and thus have an effective length from the corner to the plate -5 of the opposite fixture.v Thus none of the leg length is lost in setting up the table and a much higher and more comfortable table may be provided by my arrangement.

To set up the table, theoperations above are reversed, each leg being first swung outward from the position shown in Fig. 5 to clear the opposite fixture, whereupon the leg is moved endwise to the position shown in Fig. 6. The leg is then swung into-table- 'supporting position about the axis member 9 and then moved inward to engage the hook 10 over the outer edge of the flan e 11 and the inner end of the leg inside o the stop 14, as shown in Fig. 7.

The structure shown and described makes a very substantial and eilicient one for collapsible tables, and moreover makes the construction very strong and sturdy. The stops `14 are eut away at their ends so that the plates 7', 7 may pass the same when the legs are swung about their bolts.

The details of structure shown and dey the structure dey scribed may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a table-leg connection, the combination witha pair of plates to be secured to a table structure with the plates spaced apart, of a leg having its inner end between said plates and braced against lateral strains thereby, co-acting means carried by' the leg and one of the plates, respectively, for locking the leg against accidental movement when inv upright or table-supporting position, and means pivotally connecting the leg to the plates and permitting endwise movement of the leg to release and engage the locking means.

2. In a table-leg connection, the combination with a pair of plates to be secured to a table structure with the plates spaced apart, of a leg havin" its inner end between said lates and braced against lateral strains there y, a hook member carried by the leg to engage over a flange on one of the plates for locking the leg in upright or table-supporting position, and means pivotally connecting the leg to the plates and permitting endwise movement of the leg so thatthe hook member ma be engaged with or released from said ange.

3. In a table-leg'connection, the combination with a pair of plates to be secured to aj table structure with the plates spaced apart, of a leg having its inner endbetween said plates, co-acting means carried by the leg and one of the plates, respectively, for locking thepleg against accidental movement when in upright or table supporting position, plates carried by the leg between the lirst plates and having elongated slots therein, and a pivot member between the first plates and carried thereby and extending through the slots of the second plates, the slots being disposed to extend lengthwise of the leg so that the latter may be moved endwise to engage and release the locking means.

4. In a table-leg connection, the combination with a pair of plates to be secured to a table structure with the plates spaced apart, pf a leg having its inner end between said plates, one of said plates having a flange and a stop for the leg, a hook member carried by the leg to engage over said fiange for locking the leg 1n upright or table-supporting position with the stop overlapping the inner end of said leg on the side opposite the hook member, and means pivotally connecting the leg to said plates and permitting endwise movement of the leg so that lthe latter and the hook member may be engaged with and disengaged e teble ,structure with the plates spaced apart, of a leg having its inner end he: tween said plates and braced against lateral strains thereby, a hook member carried the leg at one side to engage over a Harige on one of the plates on the same side ef the leg, plates carried Vby the leg between the irst plates and having elongated slots therein on the opposite side of the leg, and a pivot member between and earriedby the first plates and extending through the slots in the second plates, the slots being disposed to extend lengthwise of the leg so that the latter may be moved endwise to engage the hook member with or release it from said ange.

6. In a table structure, the combination with a rail having sections at right-angles to each other to form a corner, plates Secured to each of said sections inside of the corner thereof and spaced apart in parallel relation, one of said plates being secured atwise against its adjacent section and having two flanges extending between the plates, a leg having its inner end between said plates and seatingagainst one of-said flanges when the leg is in upright er'tableh supporting position, a hook member carred by said leg to engage over the other of said )flanges to lock the leg in said position, and means pivotally connecting the leg with theplates and permitting endvvise movement of the leg to carry the same and its hook member into and out of engagement with said respective flanges.

In testimony /Whereol I aiix my signature this 20th day of April, 1926.

4 AUGUST THIEDE. 

